Recent Articleshttps://hjarta.io/recent.atom2018-02-05T07:46:27.582000+00:00Mikka Luster (mikka@mikka.is)WerkzeugHigh performance plasma amyloid-β biomarkers for Alzheimer’s diseasehttps://www.nature.com/articles/nature25456.epdf?referrer_access_token=3zyk0Klb3vNj_-9IHtHletRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MbB_79egWQegc3WHcWU_RBwbn4pTkd71LT7mNwMPjllzwKLCx2H_8551wA5h3C8AihXJRr8AeA_8_Fmgg1op6u2dCiceDJ3GHf8mGHd9N1i4ndtIswfMvNI98H819WKgXvsqCorgnT_H_NdwUyNpKBWLqjV8w1kyTs2UcKln6dq2CjeIk14LPyzxnsWlP3hevzK7xzGvBkOFmeYZQYXyE5&tracking_referrer=edition.cnn.com2018-02-05T07:46:27.582000+00:002018-02-05T07:46:27.582000+00:00mikka<p>A 90% accuracy non-invasive blood test for the presence of amyloid beta, used for early detection of Alzheimer's disease. (PDF)</p>Investigation of brain structure in the 1-month infanthttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00429-017-1600-22018-02-04T07:48:40.214000+00:002018-02-04T07:48:40.214000+00:00mikka<blockquote>
<p>Using high-resolution structural MRI, we measured subcortical gray and white matter brain volumes in a cohort (N = 143) of 1-month infants and examined characteristics of these volumetric measures throughout this early period of neurodevelopment. We show that brain volumes undergo age-related changes during the first month of life, with the corresponding patterns of regional asymmetry and sexual dimorphism.</p>
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<p>A very interesting study of sex differences in infants. </p>
<p><em>Dean, D. C. et al. (2018) ‘Investigation of brain structure in the 1-month infant’, Brain Structure and Function. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 1–18. doi: 10.1007/s00429-017-1600-2.</em></p>Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) among German students—A longitudinal approachhttp://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.01897192018-02-04T07:35:47.531000+00:002018-02-04T07:35:47.531000+00:00mikka<blockquote>
<p>The present study aimed to investigate Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) in a German student sample over a period of one year. While mean FAD level did not increase during the investigation period, a significant increase was shown in the number of participants reaching the critical cutoff score. FAD was significantly positively related to the personality trait narcissism and to negative mental health variables (depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms). Furthermore, FAD fully mediated the significant positive relationship between narcissism and stress symptoms, which demonstrates that narcissistic people can be specifically at risk to develop FAD. Present results give a first overview of FAD in Germany. Practical applications for future studies and limitations of present results are discussed.</p>
</blockquote>TIL: Jordan Peterson‘s bestselling book is based on a Quora Answerhttps://www.quora.com/profile/Jordan-B-Peterson?share=0f3f4d14&srid=uAT2018-02-02T13:10:25.801000+00:002018-02-02T13:10:25.801000+00:00mikka<p>Jordan Peterson is a little bit of a controversial figure as of late, largely because he reminds people of the fact that not everyone in academia is part of the regressive or brain washed left. He‘s a Christian, which makes him doubly suspect, a man, and he refuses to argue feelings and beliefs and instead talks about science, research, and knowledge.</p>
<p>I‘ve had my qualms with his theories in some areas, but I can‘t deny that he‘s never just thrown out stats or claims and always backs them with research, his own or peer reviewed studies. </p>
<p>Now he‘s written a <a href="https://books.google.de/books?id=TvEqDAAAQBAJ">bestselling book</a>. And, apparently, its genesis can be found in a Quora answer... good on him.</p>Desegregating blood: A civil rights struggle to rememberhttps://theconversation.com/desegregating-blood-a-civil-rights-struggle-to-remember-374802018-01-31T17:18:37.641000+00:002018-01-31T17:18:37.641000+00:00mikka<blockquote>
<p>Having heard the “soul-stirring” appeals for blood donors on her radio, she was determined to do her part. But when she arrived at the center, the supervisor turned her away. “Orders from the National Offices,” he explained, “barred Negro blood donors at this time.”</p>
<p>“Shocked” and “grieved,” Tucker left in tears, later penning a letter of protest about the whole ordeal to first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.</p>
</blockquote>Der Shutdown in Amerika hat Konsequenzen für Wissenschaftler in Europahttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2018-01-22T01:06:13.837000+00:002018-01-22T01:06:13.837000+00:00mikka<p>Der Shutdown der US Regierung hat auch Konsequenzen für Wissenschaftler in Europa:</p>
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<p>Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.</p>
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<p>Das bedeutet, dass eines der wichtigsten Werkzeuge für das Finden von Publikationen und Zitationen nicht mehr betreut ist. Wann und wie sich dieser Status ändert weiß niemand, und als Europäer können wir darauf auch keinen Einfluss nehmen. Die beste Lösung, eine NGO, würde Jahre in Anspruch nehmen, da auch EU und andere Teile der Welt nicht vor politischen Problemen gefeit sind.</p>hajrta 2.0 Status Updatehttps://hjarta.io/get/f3f76ba4-c708-48fc-a664-6b5d76d181ac2018-01-20T07:24:02.542000+00:002018-01-20T07:24:02.542000+00:00mikka<p>Been a few hours, but gunicorn now plays nice with <code>sass</code>. To make a <a href="http://gunicorn.org/">gunicorn</a> setup work on Ubuntu, which doesn't ship with Python 3.6, one has to up through a few virtualenv hoops, which then make it non-intuitive to get sass (a gem under Ruby) working with flask-assets.</p>
<p>Side note: can we fucking stop calling it "Python 2" and start calling it "Legacy Python" and make fun of people who still use it (or, almost as bad, Python 3.4?). This reliance on a seven year old, and four year outdated version, is what holds Python back. Thanks to numPy and sciPy finally killing 2.7 compatibility and Django going Python 3 in its latest version, there's at least a chance it'll get some more traction in Neuroscience.</p>Social Media macht uns dümmer, Exhibit A: Steven Pinkerhttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/opinion/social-media-dumber-steven-pinker.html2018-01-19T21:29:54.369000+00:002018-01-19T21:29:54.369000+00:00mikka<p>Wie aus einem Vortrag mit Sinn und Verstand eine “pro-Nazi Hassrede” wurde. (Englisch)</p>Schöne Bilderhttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/arts/design/brain-neuroscience-santiago-ramon-y-cajal-grey-gallery.html2018-01-19T11:40:53.757000+00:002018-01-19T11:40:53.757000+00:00mikka<p>Handgezeichnete Bilder des Gehirns vom Vater der Neurowissenschaften, Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) </p>Kannste schon surfen, ist dann halt scheiße langsam...https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Sachgebiete/Telekommunikation/Verbraucher/Breitbandmessung/Breitbandmessung-node.html2018-01-19T07:57:45.508000+00:002018-01-19T07:57:45.508000+00:00mikka<p>In Deutschland surft's sich langsamer. Der Jahresbericht 2016/17 der Bundesnetzagentur zeigt, dass nur 12 Prozent aller Kunden in Deutschland Datenübertragung nach gebuchtem Tarif bekommen. Mehr als die Hälfte aller Teilnehmer bekommen weniger als halb der versprochenen Rate. Schlimmer ist es noch bei Mobilfunk.</p>PornHub and the Terror Management Theoryhttps://www.pornhub.com/insights/hawaii-alert2018-01-19T06:51:20.633000+00:002018-01-19T06:51:20.633000+00:00mikka<p><em>It's PornHub, but the linked page itself is SFW</em> -- interesting as it is standalone, this PornHub factoid touches on more than just the mentioned surface. It shows, in case you're not comfortable clicking a PornHub link during work hours, the initial drastic decline and then, equally drastic, increase in PornHub visits during and after the bogus missile warning in Hawaii.</p>
<p>One theory for this is the Terror Management Theory (Solomon, S.; Greenberg, J.; Pyszczynski, T. (1991). "<a href="https://arizona.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/a-terror-management-theory-of-social-behavior-the-psychological-f">A terror management theory of social behavior: The psychological functions of self-esteem and cultural worldviews</a>"), which essentially proposes that when confronted with terror (death, fear), we swing back to life affirming actions in their aftermath. Birth rates skyrocketed nine months after 9/11, as did they in post-WWII Europe.</p>
<p>Equally interesting: the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/iamverysmart/">#iamverysmart</a> discussion in the comments.</p>Das extrem coole und extrem mutige "Impf-Bullshit-Bingo" des Bundesministeriums für Gesundheithttps://www.facebook.com/bmg.bund/photos/a.330642667098918.1073741828.323245001172018/932832080213304/?type=3&theater2018-01-18T14:11:25.360000+00:002018-01-18T14:11:25.360000+00:00mikka<p>Mal sehen, ob irgend ein anti-impf-Schwurbler das nach dem neuen NetzDG versucht löschen zu lassen...</p>So I guess I have to renew my mayorship?http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/2018011510274/science/uwa-staff-bound-antarctica-leadership-program2018-01-18T13:23:12.110000+00:002018-01-18T13:23:12.110000+00:00mikka<p>When I wrote my "<a href="https://medium.com/@connectome/getting-to-mcmurdo-station-61f197eeb963">Somewhat practical guide to becoming the Foursquare mayor of Antarctica</a>," I wrote that the best way to do so is to become a cook and learn first aid. Well, turns out, they're taking Neuropsychologists, too. Might have to re-apply.</p>Why we cheathttp://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2017.1393494?scroll=top&needAccess=true&journalCode=hjsr202018-01-18T01:56:36.587000+00:002018-01-18T01:56:36.587000+00:00mikka<p>Men cheat, because they want sex, women cheat because they feel neglected. Both cheat because they were drunk or had other situational reasons. 77 percent had “fallen out of love” before cheating, 41 percent didn’t feel “particularly committed,” and more than half did it to boost their self esteem. Much more to be found at the link above.</p>A New Beginninghttps://hjarta.io/get/f7e6fdae-654b-4526-a156-bba8c012b03d2018-01-17T12:03:54.912000+00:002018-01-17T12:03:54.912000+00:00mikka<p>For roughly nine months now, this has been a Jekyll install. I love Jekyll. Yet, for work and some of my side-projects, I find myself pulled into JavaScript and Python (for science-y UIs and science-y data noodling respectively). I also find myself posting and writing lots of things elsewhere, which means I needed a stable link-collection. </p>
<p>This is hjarta 2.0. Written in Python (using RetinkDB as the database backend and Flask for its bones), it'll change/grow/whatever over the coming months. Let's see what it can do...</p>